Hope at Dusk
by TDCs-FanFiction
Summary: * * Immediate spoilers for the Cutler Series * -You have been warned!- What if Dawn never miscarried the baby after Clara Sue's brutal assault? Starts off during "Twilight's Child"- The Cutler Series by V.C. Andrews. ***Disclaimer*** We own nothing! All of the characters are owned by the amazing V.C. Andrews and Pocket Books (Simon and Schuster).
1. Contribution

**Contribution**

A special thanks to all of the amazing members of The Dolls Club who have made this fanfiction possible! You know who you are. We wanted to protect your anonymity so your names have not been published. If you have an account and would like a shout out please let me know and I will be happy to add your username here.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

Spending her entire summer lying on a beach, eating and partying with her friends, Clara Sue had added more pounds to her voluptuous figure. She looked ten pounds heavier than the last time I had seen her. She was wearing a clingy violet silk dress that fit her like a second skin and showed a great deal of her cleavage. She'd permed her long blond hair and wore heavy mascara and ruby-red lipstick. I thought she looked extremely trashy, but Clara Sue probably didn't care a bit about my opinion. She was darkly tanned, and her cold blue eyes were hard and sharp, sending daggers my way.

I sat up quickly, frightened by the bang of her hand on my door. She stood there fuming, fists clenched at her sides.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. I swung my legs over the bed and slipped on my shoes while she stood there staring hatefully at me. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and it looked as if smoke might soon emerge from her ears.

"How dare you! How dare you touch my things!" she cried. "What have you done with them?" she demanded, stepping forward.

"Hasn't Mother told you?" I said calmly. "All of your things have been moved to Beulla Woods. That's where you've going to live now," I said.

"Who decided that?" she asked through clenched teeth. I fixed my eyes on hers.

"I decided" I answered calmly, despite the fear growing inside me.

Suddenly she screamed, a high-pitched howl like some animal caught in a steel trap. She slapped her hands over the sides of her head and ripped at her own hair, her fingers clutching the strands.

She lowered her head, her eyes rolling back, and then she charged at me. Her action took me so much by surprise, I didn't move.

"You bitch!" she cried. "You can't run my life, too! I won't let you!" Without warning she swung her clenched right fist and caught me squarely on the side of my head. The unexpected blow with all her weight behind it sent me reeling to the side. I fell over the vanity chair and slammed down hard on the floor, the chair turning over beside me. Stunned, I struggled to get back to my feet.

Twilight's Child- V.C. Andrews

 **Chapter 2**

"Miss Emily?" I whispered unable to raise my voice above a whisper.

"Hello Miss Dawn! Me and Emily are so excited you could join us" Charlotte said as she materialized from the shadows behind the bed.

She looked the exact same the last time I had seen her. When I had left this awful house I thought it was going to be for a lot longer time period. Her hair was in unravelled braids and she had her dirty robe wrapped tightly around her. I took a a tentative step forward before I said, "Hello Charlotte, I came to see if you were alright. Is there something wrong with Emily?"

She stared at me with bleak empty eyes. "Clara Sue..." She said softly.

Summoning my inner strength I took another step forward "Clara Sue what, Charlotte? Where is she?"

Charlotte's eyes started to tear over and her head started to swing from side to side as if fighting some memory from coming to the forefront of her mind. I slowly made my way over to the side of the bed and looked down at the woman who had haunted my nightmares.

"The fat disgusting tramp, Clara Sue, made Emily drink something with white powder and drug her up here to the bad room" said Charlotte. She went on to tell me that Clara Sue took her baby with the pointed ears and trashed the nursery. I wanted to find her and wring her neck but I had to look after Charlotte.

After taking Charlotte's hand I led her from that dark windowless room. I shot a glance back at Emily on the bed, I would have to come back and check on her if Luther and Jimmy were not back from checking outside by the time I got Charlotte taken care of.

I lead Charlotte down to the kitchen and sat her at the table, while she hummed a childish tune only she could her the music to I got to work washing up some dishes and making her a light lunch. Memories of when I was forced to do this for Emily tried to take center stage but I kept pushing them back as I worked.

As I set a sandwich and some tea in front of Charlotte I knew it was up to me to go and check if Emily was okay. Luther and Jimmy still hadn't come back from checking the farm for Charlotte. Taking a deep breath for strength I turned to the one person who made my stay here bearable, her blonde hair falling out of the braids she so careful wove each morning, the robe she always wore a stained mess. Just what had happened to her and Emily?

"Charlotte, I am going to go check on Emily. You stay here and finish up your lunch, okay?" I asked her. Only I really did not want to leave Charlotte on her own in case Clara Sue came back and harmed her again. If I was truthful I did not want to look in on Emily by myself either. Anything to do with Emily gave me nightmares and made my skin crawl, and thought of being in a room with her corpse almost made me vomit right there.

"Are you going to be staying with us again? I have some needlepoint I want to show you. And I like having you here because you are nicer than Emily. She is so mean to me. You were never mean to me. Please come and stay with us. Luther misses you as well," she replied instead of answering my questiom. I shuddered. The thought of staying isolated in this creepy house again gave me goosebumps.

When Jimmy rescued me from Emily's torments, I thought I was free from this house and would never return until after Emily died. Many nights I would wake up screaming, Jimmy holding me as I cried endless tears. And now, here I am, back here. In hell, and the devil was just down the hall, laying in what used to be my bed.

Who knows? Maybe I had gotten my wish. Maybe Emily laid up there dead. Her soul being tormented for her many sins. That dreadful woman believed herself a saint but she was nothing but a hateful hypocrite. I glanced once more to the door hoping Jimmy and Luther would enter to end the internal war that waged within me.

It shocked me right at that moment Jimmy and Luther came through the back door and into the kitchen. "Well it looks like Charlotte is no longer missing in action." said Jimmy.

"Charlotte, where'd you go? I was worried, I thought you were lost" Luther said as he came up behind her. The love he had for Charlotte and the relief at her safe return evident on his face.

"That fat cow brought me to the bank and wanted me to sign some papers. But they wouldn't let me so she brought me back here and... And destroyed the house. Oh Emily is going to be so mad Luther!" Charlotte told him, her eyes wide with fear.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, we all turned around to see that Emily had made her way out of the room, but she had lost her balance on the back staircase and fallen to the floor. As I reached out my hand to help her up she pointed to my swollen stomach and looked me straight in the eye.

"The Devil's child lives in you! We must abort it immediately! Come," she said grabbing my hand, "We must start the process now before it is to late."

I pulled my hand from hers and ran into Jimmy's arms.

"Do not talk to my wife like that Ms. Booth. Our child is nothing but a miracle!" Jimmy spit out barely able to hold back his anger.

"Anything that comes from that harlot's loins can be nothing but the Devil's spawn! She is tainted blood. Nothing but a slut like her mother before her. And you, young man, have fallen under the spell and will burn along with her and that demon growing inside her!" On and on Emily raved, her face turning beet red from the strain.

Luther stepped forward and slapped Emily so hard, she cried out and fell backwards to the ground. She laid in a crumpled heap in the same spot she had been in just moments before.

Suddenly I heard cackling laughter from behind me. I turned around and was stunned to see my half-sister Clara Sue standing in the kitchen doorway. She leaned against the frame as if she owned the place, " You know Emily is right Jimmy Longchamp! That child Dawn is carrying is the Devil's spawn. I bet you don't even know if you are not the father. Why don't you go ahead and ask your precious wife who the father really is."

I trembled with fear at what Clara Sue was insinuating to my husband. The only other man, other then employees, that I was around on a regular basis was Phillip. She had to know that would be where his mind could go and if he started asking questions... No! Jimmy must never know what Phillip had done to me when I first moved to the hotel. It would only cause problems. I regained control because no one knew except Ticia, who I confided in at Sarah Bernhardt. Phillip would never tell anyone, least of all Clara-Sue. She was just lashing out in anyway she could.

Jimmy glanced at me from the corner of his eye. I could see the doubt in them, if it was directed at me or the nasty things Clara Sue said I couldn't be positive. My heart started racing faster, making my head spin. Was my demented half-sister not going to stop until she had spoiled everything in my life?


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Gasping from the pounding pain in my head I looked up into the eyes of my startled half-sister. I could see she was just as shocked as I was that she actually hit me.

"I... Oh god, Dawn! I..." And with that Clara Sue ran from the room her cascade of fake curls flying behind her.

Pulling myself up into a fully standing position was impossible the pain in my head so severe I felt wave after wave of nausea hit me. I needed Jimmy, what if Clara Sue had hurt our baby? How could I ever forgive her?

I slowly made my way to the phone and called Jimmy so he could take me to the hospital. Jimmy met me, and Sissy who had helped me down from our room, at the front steps.

"Jimmy, you don't think there is something wrong with the baby do you" I asked frantically. My head was still pounding. "There is something seriously wrong with Clara Sue! She's acting like a child."

He stared at me for a moment, "I know, darling. Come on," he said as he lead me to his car. I slowly sat in the front seat and he closed the door quickly. Jimmy slid onto the seat next to me and we sped away.

When we arrived at the hospital I was in a complete panic. Jimmy was my rock. He held my hands and calmed me down as the doctors examined me. Thankfully our baby was fine. I had a concussion and would have to spend the night in the hospital, but at least our precious little one was okay. I realized that this was the first night I had by myself since our marriage. It was definitely the first night away from the hotel since Jimmy had to cut our honeymoon short to attend Randolph's funeral. There were other circumstances I would have liked more than spending a night in the hospital to have had some time-out from our work at the hotel.

That night dragged on. In my head I went through everything I had been through within this past year. The on-going troubles with Clara-Sue, and the worry of if I could really live up to the expectations of the old woman I hated but was seemingly growing into. But all that was cut short because after a short knock a person walked into my room, my only visitor, who was none other than the person I least expected to see. I froze in shock for a moment, closed my eyes and took a deep breath...

Luther from The Meadows stood at the foot of my hospital bed. "Hello Dawn, those darn women at the front desk were not gunna let me see ya cuz visitin' hours are ova, but I told them that it was kinda important and I had to speak to ya! I darn drove all the way from Lynchburg in Tennesse and the damn truck broke down twice. So they made an exception".

"Luther! What are you doing here?" I asked. My mind running through the scenarios that would have made Luther travel that far from the dreaded place I was held captive to give birth to Christie. It was supposed to be have been kept secret, all so Grandmother Cutler could keep control of my life. Her plans had backfired, Thank God.

"Miss Charlotte be missin'. I checked the meadows ova and ova and there been no sight of her anywhere. I needs ya to be at The Meadows right quick so you can be lookin' for Miss Charlotte. Oh and I seen Miss Clara Sue jus afore Miss Charlotte went missin'. I think shes got somethin' to do wit it Dawn! Miss Emily told her to get the Hell offa her property callin' her a disgustin' promiscuous fat tramp." Luther said, he looked worried and I had never seen him look so scared. "Miss Clara Sue said, "Your property? This was never your property it belonged to my grandparents so therefore it belongs to me and you will not be livin' here much longer"."

My eyes widened in surprise. Why would Clara Sue go to the Meadows? What was her plan to hurt our family now? I stayed quiet so Luther could continue his story.

Luther went on, "Clara-Sue just barged in as if she owned the place and we aint seen her since she was about three years old Dawn. And she says she will see to it that Miss Emily, and Miss Charlotte and me will be put into God's Waitin' Room for the rest of our lives. She is gonna tell the police all the sins of the Booths an we aint got no leg to stand on...".

As I listened I began to worry more amd more about Charlotte. Where was she? I was anxious for morning to come so that I could leave the hospital and head to The Meadows...

Morning came and we got the first flight available after I was released for travel by my Doctor. Jimmy was scared for me to go with them but he knew I was worried about Charlotte all night. He was afraid of the stress and how it would affect the baby. We hadn't decided on a name either way yet, but we had a feeling that we would name it after Momma. I looked down at my growing belly and thought about the baby. What if Clara Sue had suceeded and destroyed him or her? Then again, how could she go to The Meadows and talk to Luther, Emily and Charlotte the way she did? Something ugly churned inside of that girl, something dangerous and scary.

I relayed what Luther had reported to me the night before to Jimmy and he said, "I really don't like this Dawn especially in your condition but I know what that little witch is capable of. Clara Sue will pull every trick in the book to get what she wants." With a half-smile, he continued, "I would have loved to have witnessed the show-down between Emily and Clara Sue. Emily would have really given her a what for huh?"

I told Jimmy that I was not really in the mood to witness any major disputes. I was going to The Meadows because I wanted to make sure that Charlotte was safe and we were going to ensure that Charlotte and Luther were not going to be homeless or institutionalized. I would not allow that delusional little girl to hurt anyone anymore! I would bring her back with us and send her to Beulla Woods. Jimmy and I would demand Bronson stand up and take control of this monster he made with my mother.

Oh yes! So many people had helped contribute to the creation of my half-sister. My mother- Laura Sue, Bronson, Randolph and of course... Grandmother Cutler. It always came back to that hateful harpy! But they all had given in to her every whim and spoiled her rotten until she couldn't cope with the reality before her.

Look at where it had gotten her... Kidnapping an old senile woman!

Clara Sue was a cruel and heartless brat to torment a grown woman with the mentality of a thirteen year old girl. My half-sister had a privileged upbringing with reasonably good people as parents and she never appreciated these advantages and took it all for granted. Even though the Cutler's were a well off the family we were all expected to earn our place in the hotel and nothing was presented on a silver platter.

Except when it came to Clara Sue, she had had her position at the hotel at the front desk but she was hardly ever there to pick up her shift. Poor Mrs. Bradley would have to cover for her and pick up the slack. The problem was she never informed Grandmother Cutler of this because she was afraid that she would lose her job.

Of course Grandmother Cutler knew when Clara Sue was playing hooky because she would have read the log book which determined how much her pay would be. After reading the log book myself, I noticed that Grandmother Cutler had written in Clara Sue's name in the allotted spaces herself and she was payed the full amount. The woman, who could go on about how a good work ethic was the only way to make something of yourself for hours, played right into her game.

When we reached The Meadows I saw nothing much had changed on the outside. It still looked like a abandoned old southern plantation. It's facade fit the horrific deeds that had been committed on the inside.

"Okay Jimmy you start looking around with Luther. I am goimg to check the house. I'm hoping she didn't lock herself in somewhere to get away from Clara Sue." I told him.

As I walked through the house, memories of when I was forced to stay here while I was pregnant with Christie flooded my mind. This time the baby I was carrying would be no secret. He or she would be welcomed with joy and love.

The house was a mess. It definitely showed signs that Clara Sue had been here, wrecking her turmoil on those around her. I sighed and looked around my old prison. Dirty dishes were stacked in the sink, furniture overturned, and cobwebs collected in all areas of the house, not just the corners. I continued walking through the dark and murky hallways until I came across the small bedroom I once occupied.

What I saw in that room, made me gasp. There was the evil witch Emily! Laying in the dirty bed I once was forced to use. Her eyes were closed and looked like they were sewn shut. Her body was crumpled as if she fell onto the bed from sheer exhaustion.

Was she dead?!


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Miss Emily?" I whispered unable to raise my voice above a whisper.

"Hello Miss Dawn! Me and Emily are so excited you could join us" Charlotte said as she materialized from the shadows behind the bed.

She looked the exact same the last time I had seen her. When I had left this awful house I thought it was going to be for a lot longer time period. Her hair was in unravelled braids and she had her dirty robe wrapped tightly around her. I took a a tentative step forward before I said, "Hello Charlotte, I came to see if you were alright. Is there something wrong with Emily?"

She stared at me with bleak empty eyes. "Clara Sue..." She said softly.

Summoning my inner strength I took another step forward "Clara Sue what, Charlotte? Where is she?"

Charlotte's eyes started to tear over and her head started to swing from side to side as if fighting some memory from coming to the forefront of her mind. I slowly made my way over to the side of the bed and looked down at the woman who had haunted my nightmares.

"The fat disgusting tramp, Clara Sue, made Emily drink something with white powder and drug her up here to the bad room" said Charlotte. She went on to tell me that Clara Sue took her baby with the pointed ears and trashed the nursery. I wanted to find her and wring her neck but I had to look after Charlotte.

After taking Charlotte's hand I led her from that dark windowless room. I shot a glance back at Emily on the bed, I would have to come back and check on her if Luther and Jimmy were not back from checking outside by the time I got Charlotte taken care of.

I lead Charlotte down to the kitchen and sat her at the table, while she hummed a childish tune only she could her the music to I got to work washing up some dishes and making her a light lunch. Memories of when I was forced to do this for Emily tried to take center stage but I kept pushing them back as I worked.

As I set a sandwich and some tea in front of Charlotte I knew it was up to me to go and check if Emily was okay. Luther and Jimmy still hadn't come back from checking the farm for Charlotte. Taking a deep breath for strength I turned to the one person who made my stay here bearable, her blonde hair falling out of the braids she so careful wove each morning, the robe she always wore a stained mess. Just what had happened to her and Emily?

"Charlotte, I am going to go check on Emily. You stay here and finish up your lunch, okay?" I asked her. Only I really did not want to leave Charlotte on her own in case Clara Sue came back and harmed her again. If I was truthful I did not want to look in on Emily by myself either. Anything to do with Emily gave me nightmares and made my skin crawl, and thought of being in a room with her corpse almost made me vomit right there.

"Are you going to be staying with us again? I have some needlepoint I want to show you. And I like having you here because you are nicer than Emily. She is so mean to me. You were never mean to me. Please come and stay with us. Luther misses you as well," she replied instead of answering my questiom. I shuddered. The thought of staying isolated in this creepy house again gave me goosebumps.

When Jimmy rescued me from Emily's torments, I thought I was free from this house and would never return until after Emily died. Many nights I would wake up screaming, Jimmy holding me as I cried endless tears. And now, here I am, back here. In hell, and the devil was just down the hall, laying in what used to be my bed.

Who knows? Maybe I had gotten my wish. Maybe Emily laid up there dead. Her soul being tormented for her many sins. That dreadful woman believed herself a saint but she was nothing but a hateful hypocrite. I glanced once more to the door hoping Jimmy and Luther would enter to end the internal war that waged within me.

It shocked me right at that moment Jimmy and Luther came through the back door and into the kitchen. "Well it looks like Charlotte is no longer missing in action." said Jimmy.

"Charlotte, where'd you go? I was worried, I thought you were lost" Luther said as he came up behind her. The love he had for Charlotte and the relief at her safe return evident on his face.

"That fat cow brought me to the bank and wanted me to sign some papers. But they wouldn't let me so she brought me back here and... And destroyed the house. Oh Emily is going to be so mad Luther!" Charlotte told him, her eyes wide with fear.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, we all turned around to see that Emily had made her way out of the room, but she had lost her balance on the back staircase and fallen to the floor. As I reached out my hand to help her up she pointed to my swollen stomach and looked me straight in the eye.

"The Devil's child lives in you! We must abort it immediately! Come," she said grabbing my hand, "We must start the process now before it is to late."

I pulled my hand from hers and ran into Jimmy's arms.

"Do not talk to my wife like that Ms. Booth. Our child is nothing but a miracle!" Jimmy spit out barely able to hold back his anger.

"Anything that comes from that harlot's loins can be nothing but the Devil's spawn! She is tainted blood. Nothing but a slut like her mother before her. And you, young man, have fallen under the spell and will burn along with her and that demon growing inside her!" On and on Emily raved, her face turning beet red from the strain.

Luther stepped forward and slapped Emily so hard, she cried out and fell backwards to the ground. She laid in a crumpled heap in the same spot she had been in just moments before.

Suddenly I heard cackling laughter from behind me. I turned around and was stunned to see my half-sister Clara Sue standing in the kitchen doorway. She leaned against the frame as if she owned the place, " You know Emily is right Jimmy Longchamp! That child Dawn is carrying is the Devil's spawn. I bet you don't even know if you are not the father. Why don't you go ahead and ask your precious wife who the father really is."

I trembled with fear at what Clara Sue was insinuating to my husband. The only other man, other then employees, that I was around on a regular basis was Phillip. She had to know that would be where his mind could go and if he started asking questions... No! Jimmy must never know what Phillip had done to me when I first moved to the hotel. It would only cause problems. I regained control because no one knew except Ticia, who I confided in at Sarah Bernhardt. Phillip would never tell anyone, least of all Clara-Sue. She was just lashing out in anyway she could.

Jimmy glanced at me from the corner of his eye. I could see the doubt in them, if it was directed at me or the nasty things Clara Sue said I couldn't be positive. My heart started racing faster, making my head spin. Was my demented half-sister not going to stop until she had spoiled everything in my life?


End file.
